Definition
Filter words are verbs that insert the character's perception between the reader and the experience. Words like 'she saw,' 'he noticed,' or 'they felt' remind the reader they're watching a character rather than living inside one. In revision, identifying and cutting these words brings readers closer to the action and deepens point of view.
Why It Matters
Every filter word is a tiny wall between your reader and your character's experience. Cutting them is one of the fastest ways to make your prose feel immediate and immersive. It's a small revision habit that produces a dramatic difference in how your writing reads.
Types of Filter Words in Editing
Common Mistakes
Some filter words are intentional. If your character genuinely struggles to identify what they're seeing or if the act of noticing is the point of the scene, keep the filter. The goal is cutting the unconscious ones.
The full list is longer than you'd think: watched, heard, noticed, realized, wondered, knew, thought, seemed, appeared, looked, sounded, decided, considered. Do a find-and-replace pass for each one.
Deleting 'she heard' from 'She heard footsteps in the hallway' gives you 'Footsteps in the hallway.' That works, but you can do better: 'Footsteps echoed down the hallway.' Revision is a chance to strengthen, not just trim.
Try It Yourself
Open a recent draft and use your word processor's find function to search for these five words: saw, felt, heard, noticed, realized. Highlight every instance. For each one, ask yourself whether the sentence works without it. Rewrite at least five sentences to remove the filter and bring the reader closer to the experience.
How many filter words are hiding in your draft?
Novelium's manuscript editor highlights filter words across your entire draft so you can decide which to cut and which to keep. No more manual find-and-replace for a dozen different words.